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-by Brittney Glinsbockel and Ivy Waite In grade 4 Humanities this term, students have been examining events that are relevant to Alberta’ History. To begin with, as a class, students examined posters advertising settlement to Canada’s west and activated prior … Continue reading Grade 4: Examining Alberta’s History, Part 1

Earlier this school year, Grade 8 Humanities Teacher Jaime Groeller worked with her students to purposefully engage them in Active Reading. Below is an excerpt from her class blog around “Talking to the Text”. Inspired by a student video created … Continue reading Talking to the Text

-by Dave Bennett and Katie Haigh As part of our Waste in Our World exploration, grade 4s have been tasked with taking something of little or no value and creating something usable that serves a purpose. The overarching question was … Continue reading Upcycle That! Grade 4 Waste in Our World

-by Kevin Sonico The shift from 9 years of teaching Grades 8 & 9 students to Grade 5 students proved to be an immensely transformative experience. This change in my teaching assignment demanded my consideration of how to involve my younger students in their learning. There is a wide developmental chasm that exists between Grade 9 and Grade 5, and how to communicate their learning in a meaningful way deserved careful thought. Further, there was the substantial question of how to engage their parents. I had numerous experiences with various forms of medium and all yielded divergent results when it … Continue reading Kevin’s Reflection – Finding FreshGrade: A journey through digital portfolio and online assessment

Lorrie Emin articulates how she incorporates innovative teaching methods with her instruction in the realm of art. This video is a testament to the hard work and visually stunning results of her and Connect students’ efforts. Video by Rick Fawcett Continue reading The “Art” of Inquiry: Inquiry Lives Here

It has been a little while since we have posted some of the work that happens at Connect. In this latest installment of our video series, “Inquiry Lives Here”, three examples are shared. 1. Voice Your Vote – Grade 9 … Continue reading Inquiry Still Lives Here!

Darrell Lonsberry With the release of the results on last June’s Provincial Achievement Tests Albertans again find themselves having to wade through misinformation and misdirection in trying to make sense of what are, undeniably, dropping results in mathematics. Of course, there will be the predictable chorus from those who espouse a back to basics approach to teaching mathematics. I cringe at the possibility that the Ministry of Education will use these results to justify what I would characterize as a step backward to a rote learning, back-to-basics curriculum. What is required, in my opinion, is more support for teachers in … Continue reading Balance not Blame: Mathematics and Public Accountability

We have been asked to share our experience with you, so you may have a sense of what we thought about the Grade 5 Fort Steele camp. Wow! That’s a big task! Our kids experienced so many different things in their 4 days out there, it is hard to sum up. First of all – what a gorgeous setting – this authentic village steeped in history surrounded by rolling hills with mountains in the distance…… truly feels like you have stepped back to a simpler time. Staying right in Fort Steele really helps you to take it all in and … Continue reading Grade 5 Fort Steele Camp – A Parent’s Perspective

Over the course of this school year, my role as Curriculum Portfolio Leader has allowed me to witness a wide array of strong Inquiry-based instruction happening here at Connect Charter School. I have been fortunate that our teachers have shared the accomplishments of our students with me and I have enjoyed translating this success into a series of videos that brings focus to the work we do here. The videos are available on the school’s YouTube Channel, but here is a convenient list of the videos that are currently available for viewing. I look forward to continuing this series over … Continue reading Inquiry Lives Here – A Video Series